Raiders continue Eels woes

A committed team performance has seen the Canberra Raiders notch a rare win away from home with a 24-14 triumph over an uninspiring Parramatta Eels at Parramatta Stadium.

Canberra were a better team across the paddock - their backline looked more dangerous than their opposition and some great scrambling goal line defence held Parramatta at bay in the late stages of the second half.

The Eels once again lacked spark in attack and question marks continue to exist in regards to the Parramatta playmakers.

The visitors opened the scoring through lock Shaun Fensom, who crawled over the line in the 11th minute but the Eels hit back when Luke Burt capitalised on a great fend and pass from Timana Tahu.

Raiders winger Daniel Vidot flew high to extend his team's lead to 12-4 and the tit-for-tat nature of the contest continued as Burt grabbed his double in the 32nd minute.

But a brilliant individual try to centre Joel Thompson tilted the ledger in the favour of Canberra just before the break. Thompson dummied to beat his man before showing suprising pace to swerve around Jarryd Hayne in the last line of defence.

A bizarre Ben Smith try gave the Eels a spark in the second half - a pass from Kris Keating rebounded off the chest of Smith, who then dived on the ball in the ingoal to reduce the defecit to 18-14.

However, Canberra pulled further ahead when halfback Josh McCrone regathered his own grubber in what were the last points of the match in the 50th minute.

The Raiders then produced some steadfast defence to repel the home team in the final quarter of the game.

League Unlimited's Man of the Match went to Canberra fullback Josh Dugan, who constantly threatened the line and cleaned up a number of probing Parramatta kicks.

Match Details
Parramatta Eels 14 were defeated by Canberra Raiders 24
National Rugby League - NRL - Round 5 - Monday April 12, 2010 7:00pm
Venue: Parramatta Stadium
Referee: Ben Cummins and Gerard Sutton
Video Referee: Phil Cooley
Touch Judges: Steve Carrall and Adam Reid
Crowd: 15,122
Halftime: Parramatta Eels 10 Canberra Raiders 18

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Josh Dugan
2 Points - Alan Tongue
1 Point - Shaun Fensom (1 Try)

Parramatta Eels (14)
Tries: Luke Burt (2), Ben Smith
Conversions: Luke Burt (1/3)

Canberra Raiders (24)
Tries: Joel Thompson, Daniel Vidot, Shaun Fensom, Josh McCrone
Field Goals: Terry Campese (0/1)
Conversions: Terry Campese (4/4)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Both the Parramatta Eels and Canberra Raiders will be looking for their second win of the season in tonight's game at Parramatta Stadium.
Canberra won the U20s fixture 40-22.
Team changes this evening..
Raiders: Tilse starts, Logan is pushed back to the bench.
Eels: K. Keating starts, M. Keating is on the bench; Horo in jersey 19 replaces Brendan Oake.
1 min: Kick off! Eels to receive the ball.
3 min: The Raiders get a penalty to help them out of their own end and get the first attacking opportunity of the match.
4 min: Terry Campese grubbers into the ingoal and earns his team a repeat set.
7 min: Some big defence from Parramatta brings the crowd alive.
8 min: The Eels make a break though Joel Reddy but his pass to support doesn't find the mark and Josh Dugan picks up the ball and makes a weaving run of his own.
11 min: Canberra with a scrum feed inside the Eels 20 metre zone.
11 min: Video referee - possible Raiders try..
11 min: TRY
Canberra lock Shaun Fensom does extremely well to get down low, keep the ball off the ground and crawl over the line despite the attention of a number of Eels defenders. Campese converts.
Canberra Raiders 6-0
15 min: Jarryd Hayne kicks for the corner but it rolls dead ingoal.
16 min: Another penalty against Parramatta gives the Raiders another attacking chance.
19 min: Kris Keating puts up a bomb, the ball hits the ground and luckily for the Raiders Joel Thompson fields it.
21 min: Eels get a second set on the opposition's line.
22 min: TRY
The Eels spread the ball wide off a scrum, Timana Tahu puts a massive fend on Joel Thompson and passes it out to Luke Burt, who juggles before crossing in the corner. Burt misses from the sideline.
Canberra Raiders 6-4
25 min: Well it's groundhog day here, Reddy makes another break out wide but throws the pass inside to Canberra fullback Josh Dugan.
28 min: TRY
Josh McCrone kicks high to the wing, Daniel Vidot leaps and comes down with the ball to cross for Canberra's second try. Campese converts from the sideline.
Canberra Raiders 12-4
29 min: Canberra get a penalty to help them out of their own half.
30 min: McCrone kicks for Vidot again and he nearly gets a double but knocks on.
32 min: TRY
Some razzle dazzle for the Eels! Luke Burt goes over out wide after Feleti Mateo breaks the line off a Jarryd Hayne pass. Burt converts.
Canberra Raiders 12-10
35 min: Both teams really playing some expansive footy at the moment.
36 min: TRY
Brilliant solo try from Joel Thompson. Raiders spin it out wide to Thompson who dummies to beat his man before showing suprising pace to swerve around Jarryd Hayne. Campese converts.
Canberra Raiders 18-10
39 min: An Alan Tongue kick goes dead.
40 min: Terry Campese chip kicks on the stroke of halftime, the ball ricochets off a number of players before going out.
Halftime: It's been an entertaining half with both sides throwing the ball around. Canberra look more dangerous out wide though - who would have thought they're playing away from home?
41 min: The Eels get us underway in the second half.
42 min: Alan Tongue attempts to burrow over from dummy half but is held up.
45 min: Canberra's Joe Picker is in trouble after he collected Reddy's boot in the head while going in for a low tackle - he leaves the field.
47 min: Video referee - possible Eels try..
47 min: TRY
Bizzare try.. Kris Keating fires a pass into Ben Smith, the ball bounces off his chest and he dives on it in the ingoal. Burt fails to convert.
Canberra Raiders 18-14
50 min: The Raiders go wide and Thurling makes a break out in the centres.
50 min: TRY
Raiders halfback Josh McCrone takes on the line, grubbers for himself and regathers to score on his birthday. Campese converts to extent the lead to 10.
Canberra Raiders 24-14
54 min: A kick to the corner from Mortimer rolls over the dead ball line.
56 min: The Eels put some offloads together and Eric Grothe is pulled down five metres from the line.
57 min: Joel Reddy is penalised in possession and placed on report for elbowing Campese in the tackle.
60 min: Canberra run it on the last but Josh Dugan is caught with the ball.
62 min: Timana Tahu comes up with a one-on-one strip on McCrone.
65 min: Terry Campese cleans up a grubber and makes it back into the field of play.
67 min: Time starting to run out here for Parramatta, they still need two tries..
68 min: Mateo gets an offload away to Hayne but it's ruled forward.
70 min: Jarrod Croker steps past Grothe but the Eels sliding defence bundles him into touch.
72 min: A surge from Moi Moi nearly results in a try.
73 min: Josh Dugan saves the day for Canberra, just knocking the ball dead before Ben Smith can reach it.
75 min: Forward pass ruled against the Eels, the Raiders have produced some great goalline defence in the past few minutes.
78 min: Campese boots it over the sideline to waste some time.
80 min: FIELD GOAL ATTEMPT
Terry Campese goes for the field goal but it flies wide.
Canberra Raiders 24-14
Fulltime: The Canberra Raiders have come up with a rare win away from home against an Eels team that has, once again, failed to fire. The Raiders looked more dangerous in attack and some good scrambling defence late in the second half held the Eels out.